Introduction: How to Survive Dating a Gamer


For those of us who are out-of-our-minds crazy for a sweet, fun-loving, spends-way-too-much-time-digitally-killing-brain-cells Gamer:

This Guide will help you have a pretty darn happy and fun relationship with you Gamer.

MATERIALS:
Ability to Learn (Optional: Mini Notebook)
Multitasking
Portable Hand Held Hobby
Love (Always Consistent, Though at Varying Levels)
Headphones/Selective Hearing (Note: Selective Hearing is Recommended if You 
        Seriously Love Them)
Good Cooking Skills/or Access to Pizza/Mexican Food/Not-Fast-Food- Burgers)
Good Sense of Humor (THIS IS A MANDATORY MATERIAL)
Patience × (MONTHS DATING ×10)
Creativity (Or a Creative Friend)
Adventure (THIS IS A MANDATORY MATERIAL)
Time (Note: For Best Results, the Amount of Time Spent on This Will Coincide with How
       Well You Can Learn and Apply New Material)

(Note: Not all materials are needed at all times, but recommended to be kept in close proximity. There is one material that will be used constantly, and this is Good Sense of Humor. Without constant usage of this material, this Guide will not be effective.)


Step 1: Immerse Yourself Into the Game Room

Materials Needed for This Step:
    • Good Sense of Humor
    • Portable Hand Held Hobby
    • Selective Hearing
    • Ability to Learn
    • Patience
    • Time (prepare to set aside about 1-3 hours)

This step is where you will learn some basic information about the games for future steps. Once you enter the room, bring on your patience and multitasking, but keep your ability to learn close-by. Pick a seat in the room where you can easily observe the screen and your Gamer, but not where you could possibly destroy the new High Score if you need to remove yourself from the room. As you get situated, be sure to place your portable hand held hobby in your lap, but do not give it any more attention for about 10 min (in the rare occurrence your Gamer may feel like watching television or a movie, disperse of it between 15-20 min). Carefully combine your multitasking, selective hearing, and ability to learn. With the proper usage of these three materials you will be able to learn the following:
    1. What games your Gamer plays
    2. How the game is played
    3. What type of game
    4. A sense of your Gamer’s characters
    5. The basic strategies your Gamer uses to receive High Scores
Place this knowledge somewhere close-by for future steps (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT)


Note: The portable hand held hobby is there for you. If you feel you are getting a little bored or unable to retain what you are learning, then use your portable hand held hobby to amuse self, while still spending time with your Gamer.

Step 2: Get Food

Materials Needed for This Step:
    • Good Sense of Humor
    • Good Cooking Skills OR Access to Pizza, Mexican Food, or Not-Fast-Food Burgers
    • Love
    • Time (This Will Vary Depending on How You Will Get the Food)

Once you have sat through a few hours of learning your Gamer, it’s time for you to propose a break. This will help your Gamer know that you do want to spend some time with them, but will not seem like you are over-imposing on Game Time (everyone needs food and therefore needs breaks for food). The success rate on this Step can vary depending on what game, what level, and what’s your Gamer’s plan for this game (just for fun or to “play through the storyline”). Certain games played can be more addictive for your Gamer, in which case you may need to do this step for the first time with a food your Gamer cannot resist (you do this so that every time following you can lure them away with the hope of getting this food again). While retrieving nutrition for your Gamer, be sure to sprinkle a little love for them (there is no maximum amount of love to sprinkle). This will help you and your Gamer’s relationship grow.


Note: After this step your Gamer may want to resume Game Time. If this occurs you can choose between resuming your observation or go do something else. It is however recommended to resume your observation if you feel you have not gained enough basic knowledge for future steps.

Step 3: Repeat Steps 1&2

Materials Needed for This Step:
    • Good Sense of Humor
    • All materials listed in Steps One and Two
    • Time (As much time as you need)

Using the above materials, repeats Steps 1&2 until you feel you have learned the game and how to properly execute what you have learned.  It is crucial that you know the basic knowledge of the games your Gamer plays because in the next steps you will be implementing this knowledge.

Step 4: Join in on the Games (part 1)

Materials Needed for This Step:
    • Good Sense of Humor
    • Ability to Learn
    • Love
    • Patience
    • Adventure
    • Time (about 2 hours)

To properly execute this step be sure to constantly add you love and patience in with your good sense of humor. This step needs to be executed on a day where your Gamer is not that heavily invested in the game. You will use your adventure to ask your Gamer to teach you how to play the game that has interested you the most (Note: If this happens to be a First Person Shooter game DO NOT play Live, it will be too frustrating). Smoothly blend your adventure, patience, and ability to learn so that you are interested in playing and able to get the basics of how to play the game. For your safety, if you are just not getting the hang of it too well, stop after a half hour, but know that this step will need to be repeated more often.

This step will be repeated until you can successfully play enough to not get frustrated with playing.


Note: It may be to your benefit to use Step Two every now and then to relieve yourself from playing. This will get you and your Gamer in to the habit and playing games together and then eating together (this does not need to always happen however)

Step 5: Join in on the Games (part 2)

Materials Needed for This Step:
    • Good Sense of Humor
    • Love
    • Adventure
    • Time (2-3 hours, every now and then)

Now that you know how the game is played, join in on the fun every now and then. By doing this you have not only spent time with your Gamer, learning their gaming ways, but you have now also created a new hobby for you two to do together.

Step 6: OPTIONAL: Use You Gaming Knowledge to Create Other Hobbies

Materials Needed for This Step:
    • Good Sense of Humor
    • Creativity
    • Love
    • Time (varies on your creative mind, whether it is your mind or not)

Using the above ingredients, combine them in to creating another hobby for you and your Gamer to do together.

     Some Ideas:
         -Go to a Con with your Gamer (and get into it)
         -Create a game out of your game playing (this is best done with Multiplayers
              and multiple players)
         -Dress up as your Gamer’s favorite male/female character (depends on you
              and your Gamer’s relationship)

Good Luck!